Stage set for 2012 Baftas as Chris O’Dowd admits campaign shame

As the last-minute preparations for the 2012 Baftas get underway, Rising Star nominee Chris O’Dowd says he ‘doesn’t have a hope in hell’ of winning an award.

Polished performance: A hotel employee cradles a Bafta statuette with his hands at Londonâs Savoy Hotel, close to where the ceremony will be held on Sunday (Picture: EPA)

Preparations are now well under way for Sundayâs awards ceremony, when the gongs and the outfits were ushered inside Londonâs Savoy Hotel for safe-keeping.

Actors will use the hotel for dressing in the hours ahead of the event at the nearby Royal Opera House, where Meryl Streep, George Clooney and Gary Oldman will be among those vying for awards.

John Hurt is due to collect the outstanding British contribution to cinema award, while The Artist is the bookies’ favourite for best picture.

Posh frocks: Dresses arrive at The Savoy ahead of the Baftas (Picture: EPA)

But one nominee isn’t particularly hopeful of winning an award, with Chris O’Dowd admitting he doesn’t believe he has a chance of taking home the Orange Wednesdays Rising Star prize.

The Bridesmaids actor has tough competition in the form of Adam Deacon, Tom Hiddleston, Eddie Redmayne and Chris Hemsworth, with Kidulthood star Deacon currently favourite to win the prize.

With the award voted for by the public, O’Dowd has been canvassing for votes among his fans but admits the process is ’embarrassing’.

Chris O’Dowd isn’t expecting to win a Bafta (Picture: Getty)

‘I’ve been doing quite a bit of shameless promoting and I feel awful about it,’ he told the Daily Mail.

‘It feels really embarrassing to be going on Twitter and asking people to vote for me.’

But while he’s not hopeful of victory, the comedian knows he might not get another shot at Bafta glory in the near future.

He added: ‘There’s a big part of me that wishes I could be above it all and not care, but I feel that as I work in comedy there won’t be that many opportunities to win awards, so I’m going against my instincts and self-promoting, even though I donât have a hope in hell.’

The Bafta ceremony, hosted by Stephen Fry, will be broadcast on BBC1 this Sunday from 9pm.